Following the commencement of the Examination in Public of Warrington Borough Council’s Local Plan in September, Warrington South MP Andy Carter was present to give evidence to the inquiry held at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. The MP highlighted five particular areas of concern: the excessive amount of housebuilding called for, lack of priority to regenerate the town centre, utilising Green Belt land over brownfield sites, inadequate proposed road infrastructure and the overall environmental impact of the Plan.
The proposed number of homes to be built as stipulated in the Local Plan totals 14,500, a figure arrived at by the assessment of base data for future housing growth from 2014. More recent data from the Office for National Statistics from 2018, however, suggests that the projected growth rate for Warrington requires half the number of homes as proposed. The assertion from the Borough Council that the housing figures had been imposed by the Government was discredited by Ministers when questioned by the Warrington South MP in the House of Commons.
Concern was raised that much of the proposed development contained within the Local Plan appeared to be to the benefit of developers themselves rather than Warrington residents. Developers who gave evidence to the inquiry argued in favour of building logistics hubs and warehouses on Green Belt land, a position endorsed by the Borough Council. Andy Carter asserted that developers were failing to capitalise on skilled sectors in the town, such as energy, and that the Council was sacrificing opportunities to regenerate the town centre in favour of developing in areas liable to bring employment to people living outside of Warrington.
The MP also commented that the environmental impact of the Local Plan seemed to fall completely at odds with the Climate Emergency declared by Warrington Borough Council in 2019, with 580 hectares of land slated to be removed from the Green Belt to accommodate new development while available brownfield sites remain unutilised. Supported by the opinions of constituents who contributed to Andy Carter’s evidence, including a former planning officer in the town, the MP remarked that the Plan was designed to replicate the development planned in the 1968 new town plan, albeit without the sufficient roads-based infrastructure to support it. It was argued that this would inevitably result in increased congestion and a decline in air quality.
Commenting on his appearing at the inquiry, Andy Carter MP said: “Since becoming the MP for Warrington South in 2019, my office has received around 900 pieces of correspondence from constituents who’ve expressed concern about the Borough Council’s Local Plan. These aren’t just throwaway comments for the sake of opposition, but genuine considered letters and emails from local people who live and work here, and who care deeply about the future of their area.
“I was elected on a promise to do all I can to help regenerate our town centre and protect our precious Green Belt land. That is why I’m deeply troubled by many aspects of the Local Plan relating to the proposed number of homes, which is around double the number required, and the impact on the local environment that will be caused by increased congestion and failure to utilise available brownfield sites for development.
“Warrington residents deserve to have their voices heard, yet it seems there has been little in the way of proper public consultation about the contents of this current iteration of the Plan and how it will supposedly benefit local people. This is by far the most talked-about issue when I meet constituents on the doorstep, yet the truth is that the future of our area now lies in the hands of two Planning Inspectors. I hope they will take on board the very serious concerns raised by myself and constituents when deciding on the proposals contained within the Local Plan.”
